Notre Dame hopes Kelly one-and-done with NFL

The first time Brian Kelly received a call from an NFL franchise expressing serious interest in his services arrived just before the new year. Assuming Notre Dame's coach continues to produce, it probably won't be the last.

But the school might expect Kelly's answer to be different next time.

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said that one consideration of the NFL option, via Kelly's interview with the Eagles last week, does not rile him. But the idea is that conversation, along with the forthcoming restructured contract, precludes a repeat episode.

"Part of my interest in letting my coaches explore like this is that so they have the background, so they're better prepared to respond to inquiries in the future," Swarbrick said in a phone conversation after Kelly's decision.

"So I hope it results in less (conversations). You've had an opportunity to consider it with one of the premier NFL franchises, so you've got that information, you know what it's like. It is my hope that in taking that approach when a coach reaches that decision, it's a decision that will be with you for a while."

The door hardly ever is shut with coaches, no matter the rhetoric in Kelly's statement Saturday upon deciding to spurn the Eagles' interest or whatever atonement he makes in public comments down the line. Swarbrick knows this, but the not-so-subtle groundwork has been laid to preempt future flirtations for a coach with now publicly admitted NFL interest.

It won't stop the call from coming. It's just a matter of affecting the response of Kelly and his camp, which was active in pursuing feedback about coaching at the professional level. Of course, much of that depends upon Swarbrick himself, and giving Kelly and his program the means to compete at an elite level.

That may mean putting Kelly in the same salary orbit as Alabama's Nick Saban. But where that is mostly a symbolic gesture, increasing the available pot for assistants -- and thereby enhancing Kelly's ability to retain them -- is a top priority. Swarbrick said that subject was broached in his first postseason conversation with Kelly in early December.

"It's important to him," Swarbrick said. "We really do have a way we look at this from a market perspective from our coaches. We spend a lot of time looking at what other people are paid and where they fit in the market, and that's really the driving force for us. We have a group of comparables we look to, share information with. We want to understand the market and we want our coaches to be paid fairly."

If they are, and the call comes from another beleaguered NFL franchise a year from now -- and the odds are it will -- Swarbrick probably expects less profound consideration and more thanks, but no thanks from his head coach.

Though it may take a while to get ink to paper. Irish basketball coach Mike Brey entered the realm of contract restructuring in May 2011 after declining to meet with Maryland about its coaching vacancy, and his new 10-year deal wasn't announced until June 2012.

"I don't think it's days or weeks, I think it's longer than that," Swarbrick said of finalizing Kelly's new deal. "I have every confidence we'll get it wrapped up."